The effects of large doses of soluble and insoluble forms of cobalt given at monthly intervals on cobalt deficiency disease in lambs

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Abstract
Extract Most investigators agree that, to be fully effective against cobalt deficiency disease, soluble cobalt compounds should be administered frequently. According to Lee ( 1950 Lee, H. J. 1950. The occurrence and correction of cobalt and copper deficiency affecting sheep in South Australia. Aust. vet. J., 26: 152–159. [Crossref], [PubMed] [Google Scholar] ) “Complete control of acute deficiency may be achieved by drenching once each week with 7 mg of cobalt … but 35 mg administered once in five weeks merely delays the onset of symptoms …”. Osborne et al. ( 1954 Krieger, C. H. 1954. Report on vitamin B12 microbiological method. J. Ass. off. agric. Chem., 37: 781–792. [Google Scholar] ) and O'Moore ( 1957 O'Moore, L. B. 1957. The incidence and control of cobalt deficiency under varying soil and pasture conditions in Connemara, Co. Galway. J. Sci. Fd. Agric., 8: S105–S112. [Google Scholar] ) gave experimental doses of 14 mg fortnightly to lambs exposed to cobalt deficiency conditions and demonstrated significantly increased growth rates of treated animals as compared with untreated controls. However, it is doubtful whether those workers obtained complete remission of the disease with the treatment given, since Stewart et al. ( 1955 Stewart, J. , Mitchell, I. W. and Young, F. J. 1955. Cobalt therapy in farm practice with special reference to hill farms. Vet. Rec., 67: 755–757. [Google Scholar] ) made a direct comparison of the efficiency of 7 mg doses given weekly with that of 14 mg doses given fortnightly, and found that, on the latter regimen, lambs grew at a much slower rate than did those on the former.